Lady of the Future, who has two wins and a near-miss in turf stakes at three different tracks this season, tries to add a victory at Pimlico to her r?sum? in the $50,000 Japan Racing Association Handicap at 1 1/16 miles.

A 6-year-old mare trained by Tom Greene, Lady of the Future, 10 for 33 lifetime with earnings of $496,796, used her strong closing kick to capture the Dr. Penny Memorial at Philadelphia Park and the West Virginia President's Cup at Mountaineer. In between those races, she finished second, beaten a head, in the R.G. Dick at Delaware Park.

Wild Remarks and Mr. Bondsman, who have split two decisions in stakes, meet again in the $50,000 Tri-State Futurity at Charles Town.

Just four 2-year-olds entered the seven-furlong race and since two of them are maiden fillies, the Futurity is essentially a match race between the pair of males, who each have identical 2-for-3 records.

Boston Raider, fresh off an easy win against statebred maidens, and Keep Sam in Cheq, who beat open company in the slop by more than 14 lengths, are the prime contenders in the $50,000 Finger Lakes Juvenile at six furlongs.

Boston Raider, fourth in the New York Breeders' Futurity, cruised to a 7 3/4-length win on Sept. 26 and prepped for the Juvenile with a bullet four-furlong move on Oct. 18.

Keep Sam in Cheq led wire to wire against 10 other 2-year-olds Aug. 28, but couldn't carry his speed against a field of first-level allowance runners at Belmont in his next start.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Nearctic Handicap, a six-furlong turf race that formerly was run on Queen's Plate Day, was shifted to Canadian International Day this year in the hopes of achieving a higher profile.

The plan appears to have borne some fruit as Crystal Castle, trained by Darrell Vienna and owned by Herrick Racing, has checked in from California to contest Sunday's Grade 2, $250,000 Nearctic at Woodbine.

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Kitten's Joy and Roses in May stretched their legs over the main track at Lone Star Park on Wednesday, a day after they arrived from Kentucky for the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 30.

Both horses galloped 1 1/2 miles for trainer Dale Romans, who is in town to oversee their training. Roses in May, who will start in the $4 million Breeders's Cup Classic, went before the renovation break, and Kitten's Joy, the probable favorite for the $2 million Turf, went after the break.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens said on Wednesday that he will limit his riding to states in which jockeys are covered under workers' compensation plans because of concerns over inadequate insurance coverage in other states.

Because of his decision, Stevens has canceled an appearance at the International Jockey Championships at Lone Star Park on Oct. 28, as well as what he said were several potential mounts in the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Oct. 30, also at Lone Star.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Eight allowance runners, all but one of them 3-year-olds, will each seek a second career victory in Friday's 5 1/2-furlong feature at Portland Meadows.

Modoc figures to be favored, and he fits the winning profile that was established here on opening weekend in that he has a recent outing at Emerald Downs and will be ridden by red-hot jockey Debbie Hoonan.

Churchill Downs Inc. lost $3.8 million in the third quarter of 2004, largely as a result of costs associated with lobbying efforts in Florida and California and the poor performance of the company's Ellis Park, Churchill said Wednesday.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Caught in the Rain steps up in the Grade 3, $200,000 Violet Handicap Friday night at The Meadowlands Racetrack, following three stakes wins at Philadelphia Park.

Even with the recent success, trainer Guadalupe Preciado concedes the Violet will be "a little different" for Caught in the Rain.

Different, as in challenging.

The final graded stakes of the Big M meet attracted a strong field of fillies and mares. The Violet will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - He was terrific at raw, rural Kentucky Downs. Now Battle Won will step into the refined elegance of Keeneland when he tries for back-to-back wins Friday in the $75,000 Woodford County Stakes.

The Woodford County comes nearly four weeks after Battle Won notched the first stakes victory of his 12-race career in the Kentucky Cup Turf Dash at Kentucky Downs. Ten horses, plus two also-eligibles, have been entered in the Woodford County, a 5 1/2-furlong turf race.